Digital world clock

ABSTRACT

A digital world clock for indicating the world standard times at different places in the world and permitting a user to read the time at a desired place without resorting to complicated procedures. The world clock comprises: a table indicating world standard time zones consisting of 24 divisions, an endless film band trained around two pulleys and positioned in side-by-side relation to said table for reference purpose, said film band having thereon two zones extending lengthwise of said band in side-by-side relation to each other, one of said zones being divided into four parts representing night and day, whereby the run of said band on one side is visible to the user and indicates a series of 24 divisions representing 24 hours as well as the parts representing night and day; a digital minute-indicating portion having two openings, through which digits representing 00 to 59 minutes appear, said digits being marked on the outer circumferential surfaces of two drums, one of said drum attending to digits of the first order ranging from 0 to 9 and the other of said drum attending to digits of the second order ranging from 0 to 5. The aforesaid film band is connected mechanically to one of said drums which in turn is connected to a known clock mechanism.

United States Patent [1 1 Wakabayashi [451 Nov. 11, 1975 DIGITAL WORLDCLOCK [76] Inventor: Yasuo Wakabayashi, F -l91 Kamakurazushi I-lai-land1362-293, Hisaki, Zushi. Kanagawa, Japan [22] Filed: Apr. 5, 1974 [21]Appl. No.: 458,214

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 12, 1973 Japan 48-43181[U][52] US. Cl. 58/425; 58/125 C [51] Int. Cl G04b 19/22; GO4b 19/02 [58]Field of Search 58/425, 125 C, 126 E [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 2.001.633 5/1935 Segovia 58/42.5

2,417,695 3/1947 Lewis 58/425 Plillltll') E.\'aminerEdith SimmonsJackmon Attorney, Agent, or FirmBruce K. Thomas [57] ABSTRACT A digitalworld clock for indicating the world standard times at different placesin the world and permitting a user to read the time at a desired placewithout resorting to complicated procedures. The world clock comprises:a table indicating world standard time zones consisting of 24 divisions,an endless film band trained around two pulleys and positioned inside-by-side relation to said table for reference purpose, said filmband having thereon two zones extending lengthwise of said band inside-by-side relation to each other, one of said zones being dividedinto four parts representing night and day, whereby the run of said bandon one side is visible to the user and indicates a series of 24divisions representing 24 hours as well as the parts representing nightand day; a digital minute-indicating portion having two openings,through which digits representing 00 to 59 minutes appear, said digitsbeing marked on the outer circumferential surfaces of two drums, one ofsaid drum attending to digits of the first order ranging from 0 to 9 andthe other of said drum attending to digits of the second order rangingfrom 0 to 5. The aforesaid film band is connected mechanically to one ofsaid drums which in turn is connected to a known clock mechanism.

11 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 11, 1975 BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION carrying arabian figures representing hours and partsrepresenting night and day, while the minutes are indicated by usingminute-indicating openings, through which digits of two figures arevisible.

2. Description of the Prior Art Hitherto, many attempts have beenproposed as world clocks utilizing an ordinary clock construction suchas having hour and minute hands. However, those suffer fromdisadvantages which dictate complicated procedures for reading the worldstandard times at different places in the world, thus failing to providemeans whereby to read the world standard time at a desired city in theworld, merely by watching an indicator. On the other hand, anotherapproach such as using a digital, photoelectric indicator and anelectronic type world clock is known, but this approach suffers fromcomplicated constructions and is extremely costly. A

drum type digital world clock may be a right solution to this problem,butsuch has not been disclosed so far.

SUMMARY OF THE =INVENTION It is a principal object of the presentinvention to provide a drum-type digital world clock which is simple inconstruction and positive in operation, permitting reading of the worldstandard times at various places in the world at a glance. I

The present invention is directed to avoiding the aforesaid shortcomingsexperienced with the prior art world clocks, and the aforesaid objectand other features of the present invention are readily attained in a 24hours digital worldclock, which comprises: a table indicating a worldstandard time zones consisting of 24 divisions and attachable to acasing of a clock; an endless film band trained around two pulleys andpositioned below said table for ready reference, said film band havingthereon two zones extendinglengthwise of said band in side-by-siderelation to each other, one of said zones being divided into 48divisions representing night and day, whereby the run of said band onone side is visible to a user and indicates thereon a length of 24divisions representing 24 hours as well as the parts representing nightand day; a digital minute-indicating portion having two openings,through which digits representing 00. to 59 minutes appear, said digitsbeing marked on the outer circumferential surfaces of two drums, one ofsaid drums attending to digits of the first order ranging from to 9 andthe other of said drums attending to digits of the second .order rangingfrom 0 to one of said pulleys andsaid drums being in engagement witheach other by means of a gear mechanism, whereby the instant saidtwodrums come to positions indicating '00 minute in combination, said oneof pulleys will rotate to advance said band intermittently a distancecorresponding to one division of said band. The above mentioned andother objects and features will become apparent from the followingdetailed discription taken in conjunction with the drawings whichindicate one embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of atable indicating world standard time zones and a minute-indicatingportion provided in a casing of a clock;

FIG. 2 is perspective view showing an endless film band having thereon48 divisions representing hours on one side thereof and four partsrepresenting day and night on the other side, lengthwise thereof, andtwo drums carrying digits representing minutes and in mechanicalengagement with the aforesaid film band; and

FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view of one of the pulleys for use withan endless film band, showing mechanical engagement of the pulley withthe aforesaid two drums.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIG. 1, thereis shown at 14 a table indicating world standard time zones, which tableis attached to the casing of a clock by means of attaching portions 15,15, as shown, and the table 14 carries a world map or the names ofcities of concern and is divided into 24 divisions or time zones definedby vertical lines. These vertical lines are parallel and equally spacedacross the face of the map, as illustrated. The table 14 further carriesa mark A at 16 which represents the location of the user. Shown at 9 isa film sleeve or an endless film band which is trained around twopulleys which will be described in detail hereinafter and positionedbelow the table 14 for ready reference. The film band 9 has two zonesextending lengthwise thereof in side-by-side relation horizontally, oneof the aforesaid zones being divided into 48 divisions, in which thereare shown in sequence figures 10 ranging from 0 hour to 23 hours and theother of the aforesaid zones being divided into four parts representingday 11 and night 12, respectively. Those parts 11, 12 are colored todistinguish night from day. Shown at 13 is a mark representing the sunand placed right below the division showing 12 oclock. Two openings areprovided in the front face of the casing of a clock, indicating twodigits therethrough, which digits are carried on the outercircumferential surfaces of drums l and 2. The aforesaid two digitsrepresent 00 to 59 minutes of l the world standard times at a place of auser as well as at any desired places of the world, in common across theface of the map as indicated by the spaces between the aforesaid timezones.

Referring to FIG. 2, the film band 9 is trained around 7 two pulleys,one of which is shownat 8 and serves as a notch shown at 17 in itscircumferential edge. The

drum gear 2 is coaxially journaled on a shaft, together with the drumgear 1, and also has a notch shown at 5 in its circumferential edge.Provided in parallel with the shaft of the drum gears l and 2 is anothershaft which I mounts the three gears 3, 4 and 6 thereon. The gear 3 is apinion gear which is loosely mounted (free to rotate) on the aforesaidshaft and has teeth which are adapted to engage the aforesaid notch 17of the drum gear 1 on one side as well as to engage projections 18 I onthe drum gear 2 on the other. The gear 4 is also a pinion gear which isloosely fitted (free to rotate) on the aforesaid shaft coaxially withthe pinion gear 3.but integral with the gear 6 which is also fittedcoaitially and free to rotate on the aforesaid shaft. The pinion gear 4is adapted to engage a notch 5 provided in the circumferential edge ofthe drum gear 2 for rotation, and thereby the rotation of the piniongear 4 is directly transmitted to the gear 6, because of their integralconstructions. The drum gear 1 carries a series of digits ranging fromto meshes 9, thus representing the minute of the first order. The drumgear 1 makes one cornpleterotation per l0 minutes, while the drum gear 2makes one complete rotation per one hour and carries a series of digitsranging from 0 to 5, on its outer circumferential surface arranged inequal divisions, as in the case of the drum gear 1. The mechanism ofoperations of drum gears l and 2 follow a known principle, andthusdetailed description is omitted. The pinion gears 3 and 4 are sodesigned, in accordance with one aspectof. this invention as to berotated through an angle of l2 0 when rotated. When the indication ofthe drum gears 1 and 2 are changed to 00 minute, the pinion gear 4 willmesh with the notch 5 in the drum gear 2, whereby the face gear 6'willbe rotated through an angle of 120,The face gear 6 kmeshes with a facegear 7 which isrigidly mounted on the shaft of the pulley 8 at its lowerend. The shaft of the pulley 8 extends perpendicularly to the coaxialshaft of gears 3, 4, and 6. The pulley 8 is of a sprocket type whichengages the perforations provided along and in the side edge of the filmband 9. Thus, the aforesaid rotation of the face gear 7 is sodesigned asto 'cause the film band to advance a distance corresponding to 1/48 ofthe circum- 4? place in the world, withotit resorting to any compli-'cated procedures.

It will be understood that the above description is merely illustrativeof preferred embodiments of the in- 5 vention. Additional modificationsand improvements ferential lengthofjthe filmband in one direction. Inthis respect, the lines dividing the hour indicating zone on the filmband are designed as to align with the lines dividing the table 14 into24 divisions at all. times.

Meanwhile, theaforesaid table may carry names of citiesof concern, whileis recommendable that the midpoint of the Mediterranean Sea bepositioned at the opposite ends of awprld map, because the possibilityofusingsuch a place. is very scarce: a

For the use of a world clock according to the present invention, thedruntgear 1 indicating 0 to 9 minute bf the first orderis rotatedamanner that the film band 9 is rotated to set the hour at a lt'isiersplace'to the world standard time, after which the digits representing 00to 59 minutes,on the drum gears 1 and 2, in combination, are set to theminute ofthe world standard time. In this connection the mark 16provided on the aforesaid table aids in ready reading of theworldstandardti'me at the place of a userv I Alternatively, the world map maybe replacedby a list of names of cities or names of branch offices.

As isapparent from the foregoing description, the whole size of theworld standard .time clock may be minimized to an elongated form due tothe provisions of the world-standard -time-zone table which is removablefrom the casing of a clock, as well as due to the parallel arrangementof the film band, the shaft of gears 3, 4 and 6, and the shaft of drumgears l and 2; This permits small-sized package of a world clock withthe accompanying considerable saving in transportation expense.Furthermore, theworld clock according to the present invention is simplein construction and suitable for use, particularly for oversea calls,because ofready reading of the world standard time at a desiredutilizing the discoveries of the present invention can be readilyanticipated by those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, andsuch modifications and improvements may fa ifrly be presumed to bewithin the 0 claims that follow.

What is claimed is: l, A digital world clock comprising: a tableindicating world standard time zones, at-

' tached to the casing of a clock and including-24 equalled spaceddivisions; an endless film band trained around a pair of spaced pulleyssaid endless film band being positioned in side-byside relation to saidtable for ready reference; said film bandhaving thereon twolongitudinally extending juxtapositioned zones one of said zones beingdivided into 48 divisions each v representing an hour the other of saidzones beingdivided into four parts representing sequentially night andday; whereby the run of said film band on one side is visible to a .userand indicates thereon a length of 24 I divisions representing the spanof 24 hours in time as well as the parts representing night and day;said clock casing having a pair of openings; digital minute-indicatingmeans associated with'said openings, displaying digits representingrespectively 00 to 59 minutes in combination; including a pair of drumsbearing said digits on their outer circumferential surfaces;

one of said drumsjattending to digits of the first order ranging fromOr69- and the other of said drums at-" tending to digits of the secondorder ranging from 0 to 5;

gear means interconnecting one of said pulleys and one of saiddrums'whereby the instant said two I drums come to positions indicating00 minute in cojrr ibinationsaidone pulley will rotate to advance s'aidfilm band a longitudinal distance corresponding to one hourly divisionof said film band.

A digital' world clock as set forth in claim 1 wherein: m i

said table indicating world standard time zones and J said'film band arepositioned in parallel to a shaft member; a face gear and apair'ofpinion gears mounted coaxially on said shaft member; a' secondface gear carried by said one pulley and meshing with said face gear onsaid shaft member; a notch provided in the-circumferential edge of eachof said drums; and I eac'hof said pinion gears being adapted tointermittently engage" a respective one of said notches to t rotate saidone drum one revolution per 10 minutes and the other of said drums o'nerevolution per hour. 1 3, A digital clock as set'forth in claim 1wherein: said 'table consists of a rigid planar member having notchesalong the bottom edge and spaced-from thecorriers thereof;

scopeand purview of theinvention as defined by the said clock casingincludes a pair of spaced pins protruding therefrom at the ends andspaced above said film band to engage within said notches whereby saidtable is detachable from said clock casing.

4. A digital world clock comprising:

a housing member having an elongated horizontal opening in one face;

an endless film band positioned to travel along said opening;

said endless film having two sets of numbers from to 23 associated witha series of vertical graduations each indicating the span of an hour;

a planar map of the world carried by said housing with one longidutinaledge contiguous to an edge of said endless film band and having verticallongitude graduations indicating hourly time zones;

a pair of left and right oriented digital minute indicator meansassociated with said one face of said housing;

a clock mechanism to drive said left digital minute indicator means onerevolution per hour and the right indicator means one revolution per 10minutes; and

means connecting said left digital minute indicator to intermittentlydrive said endless film band the distance between a pair of verticalgraduations thereon in the span of one hour whereby the time in hoursand minutes for each of said time zones of said planar world map isdisplayed.

5. A digital world clock in accordance with claim 4 wherein:

said endless film band includes sequential zones of dark and light areastherealong, the dark zones being contiguous to those hours of daynormally associated with night and the light zones being contiguous tothose hours of a day normally associated with daylight.

6. A digital world clock in accordance with claim 5 including:

indicia opposite the 12th hour in the light zone of said endless filmband to indicate noon hour. 7. A digital world clock in accordance withclaim 4 including:

indicia within one of said hour time zones of said planar world map toshow the geographical location of the user of the clock.

8. A digital world clock comprising:

a housing member having an elongated horizontal opening and a pair ofhorizontally spaced openings in one face;

a clock mechanism within said housing including a driven shaft rotatableat one revolution per 10 minutes of time;

a first digital minute indicator drum carried by said driven shaft andpositioned before the appropriate one of said spaced openings toindicate the digits 0 and 9 in spaced increments;

a second digital minute indicator drum axially associated with saidfirst digital indicator drum and positioned before the other of saidspaced openings to indicate tens of minutes 0 to 5 in spaced increments;

intermittent drive means between said first and second digital minuteindicator drums to rotate said second digital minute indicator drum onerevolution per hour;

an endless film band positioned to travel across said elongated openingof said housing with one side exposed to view therethrough and trainedupon an idler pulley and driven pulley;

said endless digital film band having two sets of equally spaced indiciaeach set showing the hours 0 to 23 therealong;

a map of the world having longitudinal hourly time zone graduationstherein associated with said endless film band along one edge with saidtime zone graduations arranged in the same direction as the spacedindicia on said film band; and

intermittent drive means connected between said second minute indicatordrum and said driven pulley for said endless film band to advance saidfilm band the distance of its spaced indicia in relation to said hourlytime zone graduations on said world map for each revolution of saidsecond digital minute indicator.

9. A digital world clock in accordance with claim 8 wherein:

said endless film band includes sequential zones of dark and light areastherealong, the dark zones being contiguous to those hours of a dayassociated with the night and the light zones being contiguous to thosehours of a day normally associated with daylight.

10. A digital world clock in accordance with claim 9 including:

indicia opposite the 12th hour in the light zone of said endless filmband to indicate the noon hour.

11. A digital world clock in accordance with claim 8 including:

indicia within one of said hour time zones of said planar world map toshow the geographical location of the user ofthe clock.

Patent No.

Inventor(s) UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION 3 918251 .Dated NOVember ll 1975 Yasuo Wakabayashi It is certified that errorappears in the above-identified patent and that Colurm 1,

Column 2,

Column 3,

Column Column [SEAL] said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shownbelow:

line 47, after "representing" insert hours and the other of zone beingdivided into four parts representing said a line 28, before "user"delete "the" and insert a line 10, delete "meshes";

line 25, delete "kmeshes" and insert meshes line 6, in Claim 8, delete"and and insert to and line 19, in Claim 8, after "and" insert a Signedand Scaled this A fifteenth D f June 1976 Attest:

C. MARSHALL DANN (nmmissinner oflatems and Trademarks RUTH c. msouArresting Officer Patent 53 Inventor UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICECERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION o. 3 918 251 Dated November ll 19 75 (S) YasuoWakab ayashi is certified that error appears in the above-identifiedpatent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1,

Column 2 Colulm 3,

Column 5,

Column 6,

[SEAL] line 47, after "representing" insert hours and the other of saidzone being divided into four narts representing line 28, before "user"delete "the" and insert a line 10, delete "meshes";

line 25 delete "kmeshes" and insert meshes line 15, in Claim 4, delete"longidutinal" and insert longitudinal line 6, in Claim 8, delete "and"and insert to and line 19, in Claim 8, after "and" insert a Signed andSealed this fifteenth D8) of June 197 Arrest:

RUTH C. MASON Arresting Officer C. MARSHALL DANN Commissioner ofParemsand Trademarks

1. A digital world clock comprising: a table indicating world standard time zones, attached to the casing of a clock and including 24 equalled spaced divisions; an endless film band trained around a pair of spaced pulleys said endless film band being positioned in side-by-side relation to said table for ready reference; said film band having thereon two longitudinally extending juxtapositioned zones one of said zones being divided into 48 divisions each representing an hour the other of said zones being divided into four parts representing sequentially night and day; whereby the run of said film band on one side is visible to a user and indicates thereon a length of 24 divisions representing the span of 24 hours in time as well as the parts representing night and day; said clock casing having a pair of openings; digital minute-indicating means associated with said openings, displaying digits representing respectively 00 to 59 minutes in combination; including a pair of drums bearing said digits on their outer circumferential surfaces; one of said drums attending to digits of the first order ranging from 0 to 9 and the other of said drums attending to digits of the second order ranging from 0 to 5; gear means interconnecting one of said pulleys and one of said drums whereby the instant said two drums come to positions indicating 00 minute in combination said one pulley will rotate to advance said film band a longitudinal distance corresponding to one hourly division of said film band.
 2. A digital world clock as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said table indicating world standard time zones and said film band are positioned in parallel to a shaft member; a face gear and a pair of pinion gears mounted coaxially on said shaft member; a second face gear carried by said one pulley and meshing with said face gear on said shaft member; a notch provided in the circumferential edge of each of said drums; and each of said pinion gears being adapted to intermittently engage a respective one of said notches to rotate said one drum one revolution per 10 minutes and the other of said drums one revolution per hour.
 3. A digital clock as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said table consists of a rigid planar member having notches along the bottom edge and spaced from the corners thereof; said clock casing includes a pair of spaced pins protruding therefrom at the ends and spaced above said film band to engage within said notches whereby said table is detachable from said clock casing.
 4. A digital world clock comprising: a housing member having an elongated horizontal opening in one face; an endless film band positioned to travel along said opening; said endless film having two sets of numbers from 0 to 23 associated with a series of vertical graduations each indicating the span of an hour; a planar map of the world carried by said housing with one longidutinal edge contiguous to an edge of said endless film band and having vertical longitude graduations indicating hourly time zones; a pair of left and right oriented digital minute indicator means associated with said one face of said housing; a clock mechanism to drive said left digital minute indicator means one revolution per hour and the right indicator means one revolution per 10 minutes; and means connecting said left digital minute indicator to intermittently drive said endless film band the distance between a pair of vertical graduations thereon in the span of one hour whereby the time in hours and minutes for each of said time zones of said planar world map is displayed.
 5. A digital world clock in accordance with claim 4 wherein: said endless film band includes sequential zones of dark and light areas therealong, the dark zones being contiguous to those hours of day normally associated with night and the light zones being contiguous to those hours of a day normally associated with daylight.
 6. A digital world clock in accordance with claim 5 including: indicia opposite the 12th hour in the light zone of said endless film band to indicate noon hour.
 7. A digital world clock in accordance with claim 4 including: indicia within one of said hour time zones of said planar world map to show the geographical location of the user of the clock.
 8. A digital world clock comprising: a housing member having an elongated horizontal opening and a pair of horizontally spaced openings in one face; a clock mechanism within said housing including a driven shaft rotatable at one revolution per 10 minutes of time; a first digital minute indicator drum carried by said driven shaft and positioned before the appropriate one of said spaced openings to indicate the digits 0 and 9 in spaced increments; a second digital minute indicator drum axially associated with said first digital indicator drum and positioned before the other of said spaced openings to indicate tens of minutes 0 to 5 in spaced increments; intermittent drive means between said first and second digital minute indicator drums to rotate said second digital minute indicator drum one revolution per hour; an endless film band positioned to travel across said elongated opening of said housing with one side exposed to view therethrough and trained upon an idler pulley and driven pulley; said endless digital film band having two sets of equally spaced indicia each set showing the hours 0 to 23 therealong; a map of the world having longitudinal hourly time zone graduations therein associated with said endless film band along one edge with said time zone graduations arranged in the same direction as the spaced indicia on said film band; and intermittent drive means connected between said second minute indicator drum and said driven pulley for said endless film band to advance said film band the distance of its spaced indicia in relation to said hourly time zone graduations on said world map for each revolution of said second digital minute indicator.
 9. A digital world clock in accordance with claim 8 wherein: said endless film band includes sequential zones of dark and light areas therealong, the dark zones being contiguous to those hours of a day associated with the night and the light zones being contiguous to those hours of a day normally associated with daylight.
 10. A digital world clock in accordance with claim 9 including: indicia opposite the 12th hour in the light zone of said endless film band to indicate the noon hour.
 11. A digital world clock in accordance with claim 8 including: indicia within one of said hour time zones of said planar world map to show the geographical location of the user of the clock. 